A special publication of The Herald-Sun â&#x20AC;˘ Saturday, May 31, 2014

2 Duke Champs Saturday, May 31, 2014

ally, including the ACC championship,
while being named ACC player of the
year. She finished second at the
NCAA championships and was
named national player of the year.
Yu Liu was named ACC freshman of the year, showing that
Brooks has a chance to lead Duke
to more success in years to come.
Danowski became Duke’s coach
for the 2007 season and won his first
national title in 2010. A year or two
later he sought out Brooks, who
had already won five NCAA
championships, for a chat.
“He’s great,” Danowski said.
“We sat down with him to pick his
brain about how he does things and
the way he does them because he’s been
so successful here.”
Danowski’s men’s lacrosse team
rolled to a 17-3 record, including four
NCAA Tournament wins culminating
with last Monday’s 11-9 win over Notre
Dame in the NCAA final.
A solid group of seniors, led by Jordan Wolf, Josh Dionne and Christian
Walsh on offense along with Casey Carroll, Luke Duprey and Henry Lobb on
defense, anchored the team.
But Danowski said the credit also
By STEVE WISEMAN
swiseman@heraldsun.com; 919-419-6674
goes to the winning culture that exists at
Duke as a whole.
D U R H A M
The same two teams nearly pulled off
“We have so many people who are a
the double a year ago. The women’s golf part, who their job is just to help individuteam finished a distant second to Southike Krzyzewski happened upon
al students reach their potential,” Danern California at the NCAA championDuke athletics director Kevin
owski said. “You’re just part of this big —
White on campus earlier this week ships before Duke men’s lacrosse defeat- you’re part of this big educational kind of
ed Syracuse 16-10 in the NCAA final.
and offered an assessment.
— you’re just trying to fit in. And the kids
Both teams entered their respective
The school’s women’s golf team won
who come here, you know, it’s hard. It’s
seasons this spring harboring legitimate hard academically, it’s hard — we push
the national championship on May 23.
Three days later, on Memorial Day, Duke championship hopes.
them from day one, but they accept that
Amanda Blumenherst, a 3-time
won its second straight NCAA men’s
and they want to be part of something
national player of the year at Duke before that’s greater than themselves.”
lacrosse title.
embarking on a pro career, visited camEven the man who has more wins
That’s similar to what occurred on
pus and spoke to the team in February.
than any other Division I men’s basketthe 18th hole at the NCAA women’s golf
Brooks told her then he thought he had
ball coach in history — along with four
meet. Boutier trailed USC’s Doris Chen
a special group.
NCAA titles of his own — couldn’t hide
by one stroke in the individual race
He was spot on.
his praise.
while Duke held a three-stroke lead over
“I have a great team,” Brooks said
“Pretty damn good week,” Krzyzewsthe Trojans in the battle for the team
after the Blue Devils won the NCAA title. title.
ki told White, who was named the
“They are just great in every way you
nation’s top athletics director last week.
Boutier missed a putt which could
want a golf team to be. They work hard,
“A.D. of the year. Women’s golf champihave tied her with Chen, but left it close
onship. Lacrosse championship. Not bad they pull for each other, and they keep
enough to ensure Duke the team title.
things in perspective.”
to be the A.D. at Duke. We’re all really
Her emotions took over.
Duke’s women’s golf team was special
happy about those successes. Those are
“I tried to make that putt and it did
in a different way. Its roster features play- not go in, but then I realized we had just
really good things.”
ers from France, Colombia, China, Cana- won the national championship and I just
It was perhaps the best sports weekda and Israel in addition to the United
end the school has ever seen. Duke colstarted crying,” Boutier said. “Everyone
States.
lected two NCAA titles in Spring 2010,
thought I was crying because of my
Through navigating their cultural dif- 3-putt, but I was really emotional
but nearly two months passed between
ferences, they formed a bond that led to
Krzyzewski’s men’s basketball champibecause I think this is a very special
onship in early April and Danowski’s first a championship.
team. We have a really good team this
“It is a great feeling to have my last
lacrosse title in late May.
year, and I am very happy for our
college tournament and to finish it like
seniors. They get to experience this
This time, the glow from Coach Dan
this,” said Alejandra Cangrejo, one of two before graduating and I am really happy
Brooks leading women’s golf to its
seniors on the team, said on the day
for them, and for us.”
school-best sixth NCAA championship
Duke won it all. “It is just amazing and I
Happy is the prevailing feeling
carried right over into Danowski claimhave amazing people by my side to be
around Duke’s campus as the 2013-14
ing his program’s third national champihappy with.”
athletic year comes to a close thanks to a
onship.
Celine Boutier, a sophomore from
Memorial Day weekend few at the
“Very cool,” Danowski said. “Very
cool. It’s just a great time to be at Duke.” France, won three tournaments individu- school will forget.

With near perfect weather, the Duke Blue Devils
matched the conditions by fending off Southern California to win the national championship with an overall
team score of +10 at the 2014 NCAA Division I Women's
Golf Championship hosted by the Tulsa Country Club in
Tulsa, Oklahoma, on May 23.

Associated Press | Gail Burton

Duke celebrates a goal against Notre Dame in the first
half of an NCAA championship lacrosse game Monday
in Baltimore.

Saturday, May 31, 2014

Duke Champs 3

Courtesy of Duke Athletics | Photo by Tim Cowie

Associated Press | Gail Burton

Duke's Jordan Wolf gets picked up by a teammate after
defeating Notre Dame 11-9 in the NCAA championship
lacrosse game Monday in Baltimore.